


Submission Hold

by darkavenger



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 07:15:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18912148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkavenger/pseuds/darkavenger
Summary: Set just before Roderick Strong joins Undisputed Era. Adam Cole demonstrates his powers of persuasion.





	Submission Hold

**Author's Note:**

> Tagged Adam/Roderick, also contains background Adam/Bobby/Kyle. 
> 
> Thanks to Mariel for getting me into this trash ship.

Arrogant. Egotistical. Smug. All words that Roderick Strong would use to describe Adam Cole. Roderick would wonder how the other members of Undisputed Era put up with their leader and the way he seemed to oscillate between Smug Bastard and Vicious Bastard depending on how he was currently performing in the ring, if he didn't know that Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly were cut from the same cloth. 

Dangerous was another word that Roderick would use to describe Cole, both in the ring and out of it. Roderick had heard what had happened to some of Undisputed Era's opponents, the rumours behind the no shows and defaults. Which is why Roderick is none too happy to find Cole in the training room he's just walked into. He freezes in the doorway, almost comically dismayed. 

It's pretty late on a Friday night, and he'd been hoping there'd be no one around. Especially since he'd picked a training room that seemed to be mostly used for storage; fold-up tables and chairs and other wrestling apparatus stacked against one side of the room, leaving only just enough space for a practice ring on the other side. 

Cole looks round, and at least has the decency to look surprised for about a second before the familiar smirk returns and he calls over. "Strong. Surprised to see you know how to find the practice rooms given your performance in the ring last week."

Roderick feels his fists clench. He knows how satisfying it is to punch Adam in the face. He's got a very punchable face. Still, the smart thing would probably to leave, not get into an altercation with the unpredictable leader of the Undisputed Era in a room without any witnesses or a ref to intervene if things get nasty. Especially since if you get in a fight with one member of the UE the others are normally somewhere around and ready to jump in. 

Roderick glances around quickly, even though he knows Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly aren't hiding in among the furniture. It's not like this is a trap, no one tried to lure him here or anything. "Where's your friends?" he asks anyway, because it is Adam Cole he's talking to.

Cole glances around, like he hasn't noticed he's missing his usual back-up. It's pretty rare to see any member of UE walking around on their own these days, given that there's plenty of wrestlers in NXT with a score to settle with the group. In particular, Roderick isn't used to seeing Adam alone, and he's reminded that for all Cole's bluster and smack-talk, the guy himself isn't that big, a couple of inches shorter than Roderick himself and while Cole's got the definition, he's built slighter than most of the roster. "Sometimes I like to do things on my own. I'm sure you know what that's like." Cole walks over to the side of the ring closest to Roderick and leans against the ropes, looking down at him. 

Roderick imagines sweeping Cole's feet out from him, the sudden wide-eyed look of panic before he'd hit the mats. He forces his fists to loosen, but he can't force his shoulders to untense. "I'll leave you alone then." He turns to go.

"Roderick Strong, running away?" 

Roderick hears the ropes twang and the slight thud as Cole jumps down from the ring. He spins around, wary. If he's learnt anything from his fights in the ring with Cole, it's not to turn your back on him. "I don't run, not like you," he says, thinking of the way Adam likes to bait his opponents, draw them out and distract them.

Kind of like he's doing now. Roderick glances over his shoulder again, suddenly paranoid. 

Cole watches him with an indulgent smile. "Just us, still." He spreads a hand with a theatrical flourish at the ring. "You, me. A ring. It's like it's destiny, Roddy."

Roderick glares at the nickname, and despite himself takes a step towards Cole. Like they're part of some kind of choreographed dance, Cole takes another step back, closer to the ring. "You don't have your boyfriends around to help you cheat this time."

"Don't need them to kick your ass, Roddy," Cole says with a lot more confidence than Roderick thinks is reasonable considering how often spectating UE members have to be kicked from the ringside for interference. "Just you and me. No refs, no rules."

This is a bad idea. Roderick knows it. For some reason he can't look away from Cole who's holding his gaze with a steady stare, eyes intense and so blue. 

"No way," he says weakly. He looks back at the door. Just for a second, but it's long enough for Cole to cross the limited space between the ring and Roderick. 

Roderick stumbles back as Cole hits him open-handed on the chest, and Cole is suddenly all up close and in his business. 

"Why not? You too scared to face me?" Cole taunts, looking up at him and jabbing a finger into his chest. "You know you can't beat me and you should have joined me when you had the chance. You could have been part of wrestling history, part of the Undisputed Era, but instead you'll end up like you started, a nobody!"

Roderick fights a snarl and loses, bursts forward and shoves Cole back with a blow to the chest, then follows up and grabs him by the shoulders, pushing him back towards the ring. 

Cole doesn't even fight it, and Roderick can see the corners of Cole's lips turn up in a smirk as they fall backwards against the ring.

The smirk does vanish as Roderick falls on top of Cole, knocking him into the edge of the ring and he can hear Cole wheeze as his breath is knocked out of him. Roderick doesn't hesitate, even as he knows he's playing into Cole's hands, but tightens his grip on the slippery bastard and throws him into the ring before following. 

Cole rolls and almost gets to his feet, but Roderick's already up and he lashes out with a kick that catches the underside of Cole's jaw, snapping his head back and keeping him down. 

The glare Cole sends him fills Roderick with satisfaction, smirk finally well and truly gone. "Regretting starting this fight, Cole?" 

Cole moves his jaw with his hand, wincing. "I'll be the one ending it, Strong." 

Cole kicks up from the ground, back on his feet. For a minute they circle each other, wary, testing the air with a few quick jabs. Cole's fast, gets a chop to the neck in that briefly cuts off the air in Roderick's trachea, makes him gasp and splutter. Cole tries to press the advantage, coming in with a flurry of jabs and blows, but Roderick manages to get his arms up and counter. 

"Come on Roddy, you're making this too easy! I'm not even breaking a sweat.” Cole taunts, despite the fact he's glistening. 

Roderick ignores his trash talking to throw a punch that knocks Cole halfway across the ring. Roderick follows up, forcing Cole down to his knees, one hand wrapped tight in Cole’s hair. It's a satisfying sight but Roderick doesn't pause to drink it, just presses his advantage, pushing Cole down onto the mats and following him down. He can't resist one taunt. “Am I still making it too easy for you?”

Cole doesn't reply, just grunts trying to break out of Roderick’s hold. He does almost get a hit in, striking like a cobra upwards with the flat of his palm. Roderick can't avoid the blow entirely, but manages to turn his head so it mostly glances off. 

Cole takes the opportunity to try and twist out, lifting his hips to try and unseat Roderick, but Roderick isn't having it, forces Cole back down with the advantage of his weight, grabs an arm and shoves it between his legs, using his own arm to put pressure on Cole's, pressing down like it's a lever. He puts more pressure on it than he normally would straight away in the ring, where he'd normally give the other guy a chance to tap out before it gets too painful. 

Cole gives a pained gasp. 

“Tap out, Cole.”

Cole doesn't.  Teeth gritted, he twists, trying to break free. His free hand strains at Roderick’s arm, trying to break the hold, but he can't get any leverage. 

Roderick puts a little more pressure on the arm. Cole makes a small, pained noise. 

“Damn it Cole.” He can’t put on any more pressure without doing some damage, and whatever Cole said about no rules, Roderick isn't about to break the guy's arm. He lets it go.

Before he can do anything else, Cole’s surging up, sudden rush taking Roderick by surprise and he's knocked onto his back. Cole's on top of him, pinning both of Roderick’s arms above his head and leaning in close, long hair brushing Roderick’s face as it falls over his shoulders.

For a split second Roderick thinks Cole is going to headbutt him, or maybe bite him, and then Cole’s kissing him. 

It’s not some little peck on the lips, something he can write off as an especially fucked up kind of mindgame. Adam’s kissing him, strong and forceful, one hand cupping Roderick’s head, tilting it back to grant Cole better access. Cole bites at his bottom lip, more gently than Roderick would have expected, if he’d ever imagined anything like this ever happening. Roderick thinks that’s his excuse for why he lets it happen, lets Adam slip just the tip of his tongue inside his mouth. Adam’s body is warm against him, bare skin because Adam apparently likes to wear almost as little to practise as he does onstage, and Roderick wants to touch, but Adam’s still got his arms pinned.

Roderick tries to free his arms without dislodging Adam from where he’s basically straddling his waist, but Adam won’t let him up.

Roderick groans a little into Adam’s mouth, frustrated. He swears he can taste that smirk even though Adam's mouth is otherwise occupied. He breaks the kiss, turning his head to the side. “Adam…”

Adam laughs, a hot huff of breath into Roderick’s neck, and then Adam’s lips are pressing teasingly into the skin just under his jawbone. “My name sounds good on your lips. You should say it more often.”

Roderick is so fucking hard. “Cocktease.”

He can feel Adam's smile against his neck. “You have no fucking idea.”

“I think I have some,” Roderick says, arching his hips up in a vain attempt to get his crotch in contact with some part of Adam. If he's being honest, he could break Adam's hold on his arms pretty easily, but then Adam might let him go altogether.

Adam laughs again, a surprisingly pleasant sound, although maybe that's because this time it isn't completely at Roderick's expense and lets go of Roderick’s arms. Which, great, but then Adam's getting up, rising in one smooth motion, before Roderick can get a hand on him, and backing away out of reach. 

“Where are you going?” Roderick sits up. He takes it back, Cole totally was laughing at him. Abruptly he remembers that Cole is an asshole, no matter how nice he is to kiss, or how pretty he looks right now with swollen lips and a visible erection not quite concealed by baggy shorts. 

“I'll see you around, Strong,” Cole says, putting his hands in his pockets. 

“Fuck you, Cole,” Roderick says with feeling.

The corners of Adam's eyes crease as he smiles. “Sorry. That's a privilege reserved for Undisputed Era members only.”

Roderick's eyes widen at what isn't so much an insinuation as an outright confession. Suddenly Adam's attempts to recruit him take on a whole new dimension. 

Adam watches as the penny clearly drops. “Offers still open, Strong. Think about it.”

He turns and leaves and Roderick watches as he walks away. Once he's out of sight, Roderick lets himself fall back against the mats. “Fuck.”

He thinks that Cole probably won this round.

  
  



End file.
